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  <h1><span>OS MUTANTES</span></h1>
  <p class="quote">"BRRRRRRRLLLLLL!"</p>
  <p class="pic"><img alt="Lee, Baptista and Dias: The original trio" src="neu.png" /></p>
  <p class="members">Rita Lee, Arnaldo Baptista and S&eacute;rgio Dias</p>
  <p class="sp"><a href="http://www.southparkstudios.com/games/create.html"
                   title="South Park Create-A-Character">South Park Create-A-Character</a>
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<div id="albumList">
  <ul>
    <li><a href="#osmutantes">Os Mutantes</a></li>
    <li><a href="#mutantes">Mutantes</a></li>
    <li><a href="#desligado">A Divina Com&eacute;dia ou Ando Meio Desligado</a></li>
    <li><a href="#eletrico">Jardim El&eacute;trico</a></li>
    <li><a href="#baurets">Mutantes E Seus Cometas No Pa&iacute;s Dos Baurets</a></li>
    <li><a href="#sol">Tudo Foi Feito Pelo Sol</a></li>
    <li><a href="#z">O "A" E O "Z"</a></li>
  </ul>
</div>

<div id="reviewIntro">
<p>The Mutants, alright. And I'll start this intro page by saying something
cheesy like "if there's <em>one</em> Brazilian band you want to check out, this
is the one," 'cause... well, it's true. It's not that the other Brazilian bands
are worthless, but this one certainly represent a lot to Brazil and the world -
they are, by <em>far</em>, the most important and revolutionary rock band in the
country's history, and also one of the most unique bands ever. I mean, really...
is there <em>any</em> other band like this one?</p>

<p>Thing is, in order for you to fully understand this band's importance, you
have to know a bit of Brazil's background and history of that time. So well,
here we go: by the time the band was formed, Brazil was under the military
government which took over on the 1964 coup. On that year, Rita Lee Jones and
Arnaldo Dias Baptista met and started making music together, forming several
bands with other musicians. The Mutantes as we know them was formed when
Arnaldo's younger brother, guitar wiz S&eacute;rgio Dias, joined forces with the
two. Their godfathers where the famous composers Gilberto Gil and Caetano
Veloso, and together, they were responsible for the Tropic&aacute;lia movement.
It wasn't a specific genre or style; it was more of an ideology - a movement of
<em>questioning</em> the current culture of Brazil at its time, proposing new
ideas, new influences and new forms of creativity. The Mutantes and their self
titled debut were crucial in that respect, though their importance weren't
exactly due to innovation or creativity, but more due to IMPACT. See, back at
that time, no Brazilian music <em>dared</em> to use electric instruments, since
doing so was faced as an INSULT by the elite, who scorned such attitude as
"selling out" to the North American yankees. And the band not only brought their
own self-built electric instruments but a WHOLE lot of different influences,
aided by avantgarde maestro Rog&eacute;rio Duprat and Cl&aacute;udio
C&eacute;sar Baptista, who contributed lots of electronic tricks and innovations
to the band. They drew influences from all sorts of places - psychedelia,
avantgarde, musique concrete, as well as good ole rock 'n' roll. But there was
ONE ingredient that made them truly stand out and give many a military
politician and an elitist snob a hell of a headache: <em>debauchery</em>. Their
music is filled with cruel mockery of certian aspects of Brazilian culture,
which resulted in many death threats and endless attempts to ban them from TV
and radio.</p>

<p>The band started out as a trio, with the guitar skills of S&eacute;rgio Dias
combined with Arnaldo Baptista's eccentric views and Rita Lee's bitter sarcasm
and sweet voice. In their second LP, they were joined by drummer Ronaldo
Poliseli Leme. By 1970, the infamous Fifth Constitutional Act happened, giving
insane power to the military dictactors, and forced Gil and Veloso to leave the
country. This left the band without their godfathers, and they had to find their
own way. But they sure did a good job! They joined forces with bassist Arnolpho
Lima Filho, which allowed Arnaldo to take over the keyboards full time.</p>

<p>It's true that, in order to truly understand a large portion of the band's
output, you have to have some good knowledge of Brazilian music and knowledge.
However, if you don't have that knowledge, you'll be fully able to enjoy the
<em>other</em> portion, you know. They were truly excellent musicians - they had
that bold spirit of experimentation and exploration that gave them fresh,
unusual ideas, but they also had that... <em>spark</em> that turned their ideas
into exciting, stimulating sounds. They never succumbed to the "weirdness for
weirdness' sake" illness, and every idea they came up with had a reason to be.
Though they recorded many songs from other artists (including many tracks on
their debut LP), they were excellent songwriters and have many great
compositions in their catalogue. Their playing skills left little to be desired
(and in S&eacute;rgio's case, NOTHING to be desired), and... phew. People who
are a bit hesitant on going too deep into this band may want to pick up the
compilation <strong>Everything Is Possible</strong>, compiled by David Byrne and
released on his label, Luaka Bop. It's a solid compilation. And there's also the
album which the band recorded to be released for international market, with
several of their songs with lyrics in English. It was recorded in the early
seventies but the plans were soon scrapped, and it was later discovered by Sean
Ono Lennon and released as <strong>Tecnicolor</strong>. You may want to get that
one, then. Either way, allow me to move on to the in depth reviews of their
albums. There's just too much to be discussed in one intro section. Read on!</p>

  <p class="comment"><a href="comments.php?a=27">Send me your comments</a>!</p>
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<hr />

<div class="albumReview">
  <div class="albumReviewHeader">
    <h2 id="osmutantes">Os Mutantes (1968)</h2>
    <p class="bestSong">
      Best song: <big>Bat Macumba</big><em>? The hell should I know!!</em>
    </p>
    <p class="trackList">
      Track list:
    </p>
    <ol>
      <li><span class="good">Panis et Circenses ++</span></li>
      <li><span class="good">A Minha Menina ++</span></li>
      <li>O Rel&oacute;gio <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Adeus Maria Ful&ocirc; <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Baby <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Senhor F <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li><span class="good">Bat Macumba ++</span></li>
      <li>Premier Bonheur du Jour <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Trem Fantasma <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Tempo no Tempo</li>
      <li>Ave Genghis Khan</li>
    </ol>
  </div>
  <div class="albumReviewBody">
<p>By far, this is the band's most classic, most memorable album ever, with their most memorable album cover ever. Maybe it's because it's their debut, maybe it's because of the impact it caused, maybe it's because of the insane amount of classic songs included in it. That's not to say it's their best album; though it's definitely their most important. See, the brew these guys had was just light-years ahead of anything going in Brazil at that time. If you look at it superficially, <em>very</em> superficially, you may think of it as a psychedelic rock album; but you gotta be very DUMB to consider it just as a psychedelic rock album. There's just A LOT more stuff than that: besides the psychedelia, there's avantgarde, mockery of Brazilian styles, the rock 'n' roll, the electronics, the unusual sounds and instruments (the bug spray can in 'Premier Bonheur Du Jour', for example), and the strong ideology originated from the Tropicalist movement. If you want a three-minute summary of everything this album stands for, just listen to the opening track - it's more than what you need, a fabulously gorgeous Gil/Veloso composition, given an unique, special arrangement by the band. The initial verses are sung in "hippie" style, with their unique harmonies, rattling tambourine and Beatley trumpet flourishes all over. But the song starts taking all sorts of different shapes until it stops, as if the tape machine ran out of power. And then there are the odd sounds, the rousing climax and the ending interrupted by sounds of a dining room and <em>The Blue Danube</em>, for apparently no reason.</p>

<p>But see, in order to understand the song's <em>real</em> meaning, you'll have to figure out the almost cryptic verses in Portuguese. The band is singing about subversion, about radical acts of rebellion and defiance against the military government of the time, while the "people in the dining room" are too busy leading their pathetic, selfish lives without <em>caring</em> for what's truly going on. And there's the verse about the narrator planting "leaves of dreams", leaving no doubts on <em>what</em> kind of leaves she's planting. Fact is, when you have that in mind, the ending of the song makes much more sense: the vision of some rich manager comfortable having dinner in his house, while "Blue Danube" plays softly on the background, and a bloody riot rages outside is a powerful one, and it's a marvel the band got away with it.</p>

<p>After that extraordinary intro, the band engages on an almost endless streak of energetic, stimulating brilliance. One of the highlights here is 'Bat Macumba', one of their most iconic tracks ever. another Gil/Veloso composition. But what really matters here is the <em>way</em> the song is played: relentless, proto-disco (!!) groove with Latin percussion, rattling tambourine and jumpy bass guitar, the band chanting a "witchdoctor" mantra, removing each syllabe with each repetition, and then adding them all back into place - but most importantly, the guitar soloing with a <em>WILD</em> tremolo effect applied on it. History has it that the guitar was plugged into a sewing machine, and I don't doubt it - how is it possible to get that oscillating, rattling tremolo other than with some wacky, unexpected electronics? And there's a bizarre "pseudo-synth" solo at the end that I just can't tell <em>how</em> it's done. Fact is, the song is brilliant, and it's so brilliant that it was worthy of being included on the <strong>Nuggets II</strong> boxset - just to let you know how much you're missing in case you never heard it.</p>

<p>Another highlight is the Jorge Ben composition 'A Minha Menina', with an irresistible and unique samba groove, underpinned by a fuzz guitar riff! The melody is just beautiful, and the lyrics... well, they're gentle love lyrics, and that's all you need to know, and you're free to imagine some sort of darker, second meaning behind the song. It's all fine. 'Baby', a Veloso composition, was originally written as a bossa tune for singer Gal Costa. But the Mutantes turn it into some sarcastic, "soulful" stab at Brazilian bluesy ballad. His influence is also present in 'Trem Fantasma', co-written by the band, and it's a frantic, "theatrical" piece that really managed to create the sound of a chug-chug-chugging ghost train. Great track, even though it's kind of overshadowed by the best stuff here.</p>

<p>So, there are two other 'aspects' of the album left to mention: the original compositions and the musical jokes. Well... perhaps they're not "jokes", but they are there to do one thing that Tropic&aacute;lia was supposed to do: mock culture, and that's what 'Adeus Maria Ful&ocirc;' does - though the song is so well performed and so infectious that's it's quite scary. The song has origins from the northeast of Brazil, and it's performed here with stomping percussion, marimba and a cuica. It's pretty haunting and cool, a definitive "minor" highlight. Interestingly, they also play the French song 'Premier Bonheur du Jour' - the one that features the bug spray can. But that's hardly the best
aspect of the song. Rita Lee's deliver is sweet, and the song is overall very well performed. But what's with that ending, with the piano and the recorder suddenly breaking into ominous, eerie atonality? The piano goes clangy clangy and the recorder keeps going "wooooooo" on the background. Creepy!</p>

<p>As for the original compositions... Well, I won't fool you, but the songwriting here is a <em>bit</em> amateurish. But only compared to their latter output, that is. So, when you realise how good the songs are, you'll realise that they're quite an accomplishment. 'O Rel&oacute;gio' is really two songs in one - a gentle, slightly plaintive ballad with a bass/piano riff, Rita's voice and clock sounds - and then, it turns into a fuzzy, abrasive rocker on the chorus. Sounds strange? Well, it's the Mutantes, alright! I'm quite partial towards 'Senhor F', though - a hilarious, relentless comedy piece that's essentially a jab at 'All You Need Is Love', borrowing the structure somewhat and the 7/8 meter. But the song is <em>far</em> from anthemic and emotional, though. Try THAT one!</p>

<p>The album loses a <em>bit</em> of steam towards the end, though... but then, that might just be the effect of comparing those two last tracks with the absolutely stunning material that comes before it. Anyway, 'Tempo no Tempo' is an adaptation of a song called 'Once Was a Time When I Thought', featuring a weird "religious" chant and some of that cool machine-gun singing. It's only one minute and a half long, and it leads into 'Ave Genghis Khan'. It's mostly an instrumental jam, you know, though it's a GOOD instrumental jam! Good playing, smart piano riff, cool tape effects, and sudden ending. Instead of fading out like a normal song, it just stops, as if they ran out of tape. And who knows, maybe they DID run out of tape? If that was the intended effect, they  got it pretty well. Maybe it's a bit disappointing, being the album closer and all, but I can't help it. It's a great tune.</p>

<p>So, there's your classic. I don't give this a 15 because it's not my personal favourite Mutantes record. It <em>does</em> have a few faults - mostly the lack of original compositions and... well, its short running time (36 minutes). But is there ANY way I can give this anything less than a 14? I know there isn't. It would be a travesty if I did, and after all, I really love that record, you know. Whenever you feel like getting some Brazilian records, this MUST be in your selection. Don't miss it, please.</p>

  </div>
  <div class="albumReviewRating">
    <p class="ratingHeader">
      Rating:
    </p>
    <p class="funFactor">
      <span class="ratingName">Fun Factor:</span> <span class="rating">14/15</span> -
      You know, it never ceases being fun. It's <em>constantly</em> enjoyable.</p>
    <p class="resonance">
      <span class="ratingName">Resonance:</span> <span class="rating">13/15</span> -
      It's true that these guys are just <em>too</em> jokey to cause a strong emotional impression, but some moments here are just plain COOL.</p>
    <p class="originality">
      <span class="ratingName">Originality:</span> <span class="rating">15/15</span> -
      Prime stuff.</p>
    <p class="richness">
      <span class="ratingName">Richness:</span> <span class="rating">14/15</span> -
      One point off because... err, well, they didn't write most of the songs.</p>
    <p class="solidness">
      <span class="ratingName">Solidness:</span> <span class="rating">13/15</span> -
      A bit too short. And it's not <em>tight</em> enough, like some of their next releases.</p>

    <p class="ratingFinale">
      Total: <img src="../images/14.png" alt="14" />
    </p>
  </div>

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<div class="albumReview">
  <div class="albumReviewHeader">
    <h2 id="mutantes">Mutantes (1969)</h2>
    <p class="bestSong">
      Best song: <big>Dois Mil E Um</big>
    </p>
    <p class="trackList">
      Track list:
    </p>
    <ol>
      <li><span class="good">Dom Quixote ++</span></li>
      <li>N&atilde;o V&aacute; se Perder por A&iacute; <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li><span class="good">Dia 36 ++</span></li>
      <li><span class="good">Dois Mil e Um ++</span></li>
      <li>Algo Mais</li>
      <li><span class="good">Fuga no. II ++</span></li>
      <li>Banho de Lua (Tintarella di Luna) <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Rita Lee</li>
      <li>M&aacute;gica <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Qualquer Bobagem <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Caminhante Noturno <span class="good">+</span></li>
    </ol>
  </div>
  <div class="albumReviewBody">
<p>They dropped the article from their name permamently on this album, but it's funny how everybody still calls them "Os Mutantes" to this day, and not "Mutantes". But that doesn't matter. The article's probably the only thing the band lost here, because musically, they're only gaining new ground, expanding their boundaries and coming up with even more masterpieces. In fact, in my opinion, this is the band's masterpiece. Not that there isn't any competition from the other albums, you know. Still, this one edges them all: it's somewhat more consistent, and packs an incredible amount of fantastic things with an unbelievable sense of humour and lightness. There are many more original compositions here, which means their songwriting is improving!</p>

<p>And, indeed, it is. I notice a lot less... edge in their lyrics, though. There is no Gil and no Veloso here, and no 'Panis et Circenses' either. But after all, it's understandable. With each year, the government gained more power, and censorship got harsher. Nonetheless, the band is still expanding their boundaries and still pushing Tropic&aacute;lia forwards - only in a more subtle manner. Pretty much every musical element from the previous album is present here, sometimes displayed in a more subtle manner. For example: do you want the sarcastic mockery? Try 'Banho de Lua', then, which originally was an adaptation of an Italian rock 'n' roll tune called 'Tintarella di Luna'. The adapted version was a hit in Brazil, and also a victim of the band's slaughter. Just listen to that <em>intro</em>, with all sorts of Hellish sounds building up and a Theremin or something similar. I dunno why this, to me, is so similar to some stuff the Residents would be doing years later. Hey, wouldn't it be <em>cool</em> if the Residents were influenced by the Mutantes?</p>

<p>The electronics are improving, too. One of the inventions displayed in this album is the "wooh-wooh" effect, which is the "wah-wah" effect inverted. The effect is put into practice in 'Dia 36', one of the most stunning tracks here. Not only the guitars are wooh-wooh-ed, but they're all oddly warped and bent, and the effect is just plainly <em>spooky</em>. Arnaldo's voice runs through a Leslie, giving it a very detached feeling. Overall, the song is dark, plodding and ghostly, and the melody is magnificent. It's definitely one of the tracks here I'd call a masterpiece. And there are two more of those! The next one is the opening track, 'Dom Quixote', the band's stab at a mini-suite, mini-opera, or whatever you call this. There's an orchestra, under the inhumanly masterful arrangements of Duprat, and... well, lots of other stuff! Rock 'n' roll entwined with orchestras and weird effects and machine-gun singing, it's quite a thrill, even if you don't know what the lyrics are about - mainly wordplay, though some bits STILL managed to fall on the evil claws of censorship, which is the reason why some words are obscured by unexplainable crowd noise; the band felt proud that they <em>never</em> changed any words due to censorship, resorting to obscuring them somehow. Anyway, the music goes all over the place, only to come back to a burst of laughter in the end. And the other masterpiece is 'Dois Mil e Um', written by Rita Lee and Tom Z&eacute;. Not only the song is magnificent, but it dislpays some more of those unbelievable, isanely creative how-the-hell-did-they-think-of-that arrangements: the "redneck" verses with acoustic guitar and funny singing, the middle-section with <em>Lux Æterna</em> (yes, the "Monolith" theme from <em>2001</em>!) being mercilessly ruined by the band's electronics, the climatic ending with the "redneck" music and rock 'n' roll playing <em>at the same time</em>... Must be heard to be believed, plain and simple.</p>

<p>Are those the only good tracks? Of course not. But then, I don't know who would be silly enough to consider that. Anyway, the most unremarkable track is, in my opinion, 'Algo Mais' - but probably because it's the most laidback song in the record, and it comes after the breathtaking streak of the four initial tracks. It's quite jazzy, with Latin pianos and whatnot, smooth harmonies, and the most interesting thing about it is that it was written after a jingle the band wrote and recorded for Shell. The thirty second jingle is much faster and rock 'n' rollish, with slightly altered lyrics, and in the album song, you can still hear Rita Lee chanting "Sheeeeeell" quietly after the choruses. But the others? Well, what about the delightfully dumb 'N&atilde;o V&aacute; se Perder por A&iacute;', with the band singing with highly nasal vocals, a hilarious false start, and a fiddle solo to give a <em>country</em> flavour of the song? You gotta dig that riff and the fast, snappy rhythm, too. Great song. 'Banho de Lua' <em>is</em> rock 'n' roll, even with all the sarcasm, and 'M&aacute;gica' is just... odd. There are about three completely different parts alternating constantly, sharing a kind of... "magic", pseudo-psychedelic aura, quoting the 'Satisfaction' riff in the outro. Weird? Yes, but they manage to make it quite beautiful. And 'Rita Lee' is some childish "novelty" stuff, also a dig at the Beatles' 'Don't Pass Me By'. For some reason, it "Passes Me By" a little (Ha! Ha!... Ha!)... I dunno. I guess it's not really THAT remarkable, even being quite catchy.</p>

<p>And the ballad department? Wow! It's as good as it could possibly be. I don't know if you could call 'Caminhante Noturno' a "ballad", though. It's epic, bombastic, kind of a slow counterpart to 'Dom Quixote'. Beautiful? Very! 'Qualquer Bobagem' is a cover of a wonderful Tom Z&eacute; song, sung by a stuttering Arnaldo Baptista. No, really - it's not a "stuttering" style of singing, he actually <em>stutters</em> the lyrics. And while this may sound like a silly, unnecessary gimmick, I don't mind it. The song is great, anyway, kind of anthemic - and Arnaldo's stuttering is probably meant to be a joke on that. But the most impressive is definitely 'Fuga no. II' (the title is a pun on both meanings of the word in Portuguese: "fugue" and "runaway"). Duprat's arrangement for orchestra is stunning, and the song has a wonderful, dreamy atmosphere - something quite rare in the band's catalogue. The song <em>is</em> kind of like a dream, and they pull it off wonderfully.</p>

<p>I think that choosing a favourite Mutantes record is a <em>highly</em> subjective affair. I've seen many fans pick out <strong>Jardim El&eacute;trico</strong> as their personal favourite, and overall, the band's three first records are VERY solid contenders. But this one wins me over by its overall consistence, amount of ideas and the way they are presented. If we were to count the great tracks, the following album would have to be picked. And in terms of importance, the previous one easily wins. But this is all personal taste, right? Get all the three first LPs anyway.</p>

  </div>
  <div class="albumReviewRating">
    <p class="ratingHeader">
      Rating:
    </p>
    <p class="funFactor">
      <span class="ratingName">Fun Factor:</span> <span class="rating">15/15</span> -
      The "weaker" spots in the album are actually very, very good.</p>
    <p class="resonance">
      <span class="ratingName">Resonance:</span> <span class="rating">14/15</span> -
      Here they start triggering the right nerves in me. This is not only "funny" anymore.</p>
    <p class="originality">
      <span class="ratingName">Originality:</span> <span class="rating">15/15</span> -
      Heh. It <em>improves</em> on the debut.</p>
    <p class="richness">
      <span class="ratingName">Richness:</span> <span class="rating">15/15</span> -
      Hardly anything here falters.</p>
    <p class="solidness">
      <span class="ratingName">Solidness:</span> <span class="rating">15/15</span> -
      I can't really complain, can I?</p>

    <p class="ratingFinale">
      Total: <img src="../images/15.png" alt="15" />
    </p>
  </div>

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<div class="albumReview">
  <div class="albumReviewHeader">
    <h2 id="desligado">A Divina Com&eacute;dia ou Ando Meio Desligado (1970)</h2>
    <p class="bestSong">
      Best song: <big>Meu Refrigerador N&atilde;o Funciona</big>
    </p>
    <p class="trackList">
      Track list:
    </p>
    <ol>
      <li><span class="good">Ando Meio Desligado ++</span></li>
      <li><span class="good">Quem Tem Medo de Brincar de Amor ++</span></li>
      <li>Ave L&uacute;cifer <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Desculpe, Babe <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li><span class="good">Meu Refrigerador N&atilde;o Funciona ++</span></li>
      <li><span class="good">Hey Boy ++</span></li>
      <li>Preciso Urgentemente Encontrar um Amigo</li>
      <li><span class="good">Ch&atilde;o de Estrelas ++</span></li>
      <li>Jogo de Cal&ccedil;ada <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Haleluia</li>
      <li>Oh! Mulher Infiel</li>
    </ol>
  </div>
  <div class="albumReviewBody">
<p>This album is officially the first Mutantes album recorded without the guidance of Gil and Veloso. They were exiled from Brazil, by that time, so the band had to go their own way, by themselves. Did that cause any harm to them? Well, possibly, but just listening to this record, it doesn't show <em>at all</em>. The band just keeps on improving their chops and their skills, and bringing in a full-time drummer, Arnaldo could dedicate himself more to the keyboards. The result is a fuller, more aggressive sound - not just because of the instrumentation, but also because of the band's influences. This might be their ultimate pot album, as it's reflected both in the "spaced out" quality of some of these tracks, and also the retarded - yet sarcastic - humour in other ones. There's more of that good ole Rock 'n' Roll here, moving a little back from <em>Tropic&aacute;lia</em>, yet still counting with Duprat's arrangements, the wild electronics, the ever-improving innovative studio techniques, the sarcastic covers, and mostly everything else. The trick is that they were losing their "anti-stabilishment" attack, but were directing their bitterness towards different things - there are attacks on the upper classes, lyrical themes that were were standing <em>just</em> in the line between "acceptable" and "questionable" (some things were actually banned, here, but they were mainly song titles, for example: "Mulher Infiel", which means "Cheating Woman" was changed to "Cheating <em>Friend</em>"), and the ever present debauchery.</p>

<p>Overall, this is Rock 'n' Roll - both in music and in attitude. And the music is just as stunningly fantastic as before. Where do you want me to start? There are plenty of tracks that I can mention here. Go ahead! Pick one!... Er, it's a shame that this can't be an interactive review so you can actually PICK a song for me to talk about here. So, well, do you want rock 'n' roll? Try the very first tracks! 'Ando Meio Desligado' nicks the rhythm from a Zombies track, but builds MUCH MORE on top of it. The "Latin" rhythms and pianos, the lyrics (I find it absolutely amazing how they took three lines that are a <em>direct</em> reference to pot smoking, and then promptly subvert them into a surprisingly sweet, na&iuml;ve love tune), Rita's faultless delivery, and the outstanding instrumental breaks are just about everything you need. But you just can't forget that ending! S&eacute;rgio Dias gives what must be his very best "psychedelic" guitar solo right next to Arnaldo's unstoppable organ bashing, it all takes off into a soaring coda that rises and rises - and at the <em>height</em> of the climax, Rita belts out an absolutely hilarious "patriotic" chant, which completely makes the song for me. If you look at it closely, it's not hard to realise how cynical that chant sounds (even if you don't understand Portuguese at all), and considering the circumstances under which that album was released, it's AGAIN a wonder they got away with it (perhaps the censors were way too DUMB to realise the irony? I don't doubt it).</p>

<p>And the spicy thematics just keep on coming: 'Quem Tem Medo de Brincar de Amor' (which certainly had its title changed from "Who's Afraid of Making Love" to "Who's Afraid of Playing With Love", since they <em>definitely</em> sing the former phrase, and it's buried under lots of noise) just rips and roars, alternating some of the band's coolest and fastest grooves ever, hypocrite "bossa nova" with Rita faking an English accent (a clear jab at S&eacute;rgio Mendes), and absolutely hysterical breaks with the band breaking into "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf" (the <em>actual</em> reason for the censorship, I believe - sexual invitation to the tune of a <em>children's</em> song? Kidding, right?!). It all sounds fun already, but you <em>have</em> to give an extra attention to all those hooks and riffs the band keeps shooting at you. Without stopping the brilliance, there's the "musical poem" 'Ave Lucifer', a scarily beautiful ode to sins and devils and an "Infernal Eden", and a prime example of incredible sound engineering, production skills and mastery with sound effects (some of them are reminiscent of 'Dia 36', like the "wooh-wooh" guitar). Its presence here is probably justified by the title, "The Divine Comedy", since it's offered a counterpoint on side 2, 'Haleluia'. That one is far less interesting and curious, but it's a really rousing and cool rock 'n' roll effort with gospel choirs and a brilliant crescendo. What a cool performance! You <em>must</em> check that one out.</p>

<p>The album's fault is... well, it ain't exactly a <em>fault</em>, but it is a characteristic that might make it less enjoyable to non-Brazilian listeners. See, the album can almost be called a comedy album at times, since there's a lot more of parody and musical jokes here than in either previous Mutantes records. When the album isn't plain comical, it's... ambiguous. Take, for example, the lovely ballad 'Desculpe Babe'. It's a wonderful melody, yeah, but the way Arnaldo makes that vibrato tells me the song is more comical than it might seem. The lyrics are a bit odd, too. So, how am I supposed to take the song as a beautiful ballad when the band might be having me on? At least, that's the only "subtle" joke here, because all the others are pretty clear. 'Meu Refrigerador N&atilde;o Funciona' must definitely be the most impressive here, and <em>I</em> admit I only didn't laugh out loud the first time I heard it because I was at work, you know. Initially, it might sound like an immitation of Janis Joplin, with Rita fulfilling her role impressively. The lyrics are in English, so you'll understand her yelling about missing her babe, and all those Blues chich&eacute;s and all. But then, Arnaldo kicks in, sobbing and wailing that his refrigerator doesn't work, and that he tried everything but it still doesn't work. And from a Blues immitation, it takes off into a brilliant parody instead - and it's made better by Arnaldo's great delivery, and the way the song turns from Blues into Jazz, or something, with a trombone solo. You might not realise the song's point if you don't understand what Arnaldo is saying, see, and you may dismiss it as a lame Blues send up. But <em>I</em> get the song's point, and I really love it. It's a bit of a problem, I suppose, since I'm rating the album better because of my country of origin. Is this fair?</p>

<p>There are two more tracks that I just <em>love</em> because of their comical effect. 'Hey Boy' is just brilliant: on surface, a doo-wop parody with nothing very new in the musical department - but deeper than that, an amazingly bitter and sarcastic mockery on upper classes. It refers to those kids from rich families that like to show off their cars and expensive clothes bought with their daddies' money. But as the ending of the song shows, they always screw up and crash their cars in the end, because of how mediocre they all are. Mind you: it's not <em>me</em> saying those things, it's the song. On a less hateful note 'Ch&atilde;o de Estrelas' is an utter, violent destruction of a very specific style of Brazilian music, in which Arnaldo wastes no effort in coming up with a damn near <em>perfect</em> vocal intonation for it. The beginning is as authentic as it could be, with sorrowful acoustic guitar and a clarinet intro. But then, there's an onslaught of SFX, and the song takes off into a hysterical mockery on the style, with sound effects making fun of the lyrics (e.g. "the dove that flew away" becomes a helicopter shooting its machine gun away, and "the moon poking holes through our tin roof" is followed by a gun ricochet). And, of course, Arnaldo makes the song twice as funny with his vocal delivery. That's why he's Arnaldo Baptista, right?</p>

<p>Fortunately, there are a few more songs here that don't depend on their comedic value. 'Preciso Urgentemente Encontrar um Amigo' is a cover of an oldie rock 'n' roll tune. It's not impressive, compared to the best material in here, but I'm still wondering whether there's a second intention behind this song. I suspect they were actually mocking the "positive" message of the song, but I don't want speculations when it comes to this band. 'Jogo de Cal&ccedil;ada', on the other hand, <em>is</em> quite impressive: wonderful little pop song, with catchy vocals and great band performance, overall. Finally, the album closing instrumental is only really memorable because of the MONSTROUS guitar tone Dias uses. It breaks into a "Blues" middle-section with Arnaldo wailing nonsense all over it and inconsequently banging the piano, but it's not something that'll make your eyebrows rise until they pop out of your head. Great guitar work, though!</p>

<p>I suppose this album is less "easy" to get into, if you're not from Brazil. For me, this is easily one of the band's best records ever, and right on the top of their league. Still, be it easy or not, it <em>is</em> an essential Mutantes record, and if you do want to dig in deeper into their music, you'll have to pick this one up early - if only for those <em>magnificent</em> songs on side A. There's still plenty of unadultered <em>music</em> to be found here, so you'll hardly be disappointed.</p>
  </div>
  <div class="albumReviewRating">
    <p class="ratingHeader">
      Rating:
    </p>
    <p class="funFactor">
      <span class="ratingName">Fun Factor:</span> <span class="rating">15/15</span> -
      I can't help it. I love this.</p>
    <p class="resonance">
      <span class="ratingName">Resonance:</span> <span class="rating">14/15</span> -
      Although I really love it, the album loses me a bit at times... There's very little besides comedy here.</p>
    <p class="originality">
      <span class="ratingName">Originality:</span> <span class="rating">14/15</span> -
      Well, um... It doesn't really bring anything <em>new</em> to the table. Not that it <em>needs</em> to, mind you...</p>
    <p class="richness">
      <span class="ratingName">Richness:</span> <span class="rating">15/15</span> -
      That I can't deny. <em>Every</em> song here has something to offer.</p>
    <p class="solidness">
      <span class="ratingName">Solidness:</span> <span class="rating">14/15</span> -
      The ending lets me down a bit, I reckon. But that's mostly it.</p>

    <p class="ratingFinale">
      Total: <img src="../images/14.png" alt="14" />
    </p>
  </div>

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<hr />

<div class="albumReview">
  <div class="albumReviewHeader">
    <h2 id="eletrico">Jardim El&eacute;trico (1971)</h2>
    <p class="bestSong">
      Best song: <big>Top Top</big>
    </p>
    <p class="trackList">
      Track list:
    </p>
    <ol>
      <li><span class="good">Top Top ++</span></li>
      <li>Benvinda</li>
      <li>Tecnicolor <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>El Justiciero <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>It's Very Nice Pr&aacute; Xuxu <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Portugal De Navio <span class="bad">&times;</span></li>
      <li>Virg&iacute;nia <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Jardim El&eacute;trico <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Lady Lady</li>
      <li>Sarav&aacute;</li>
      <li>Baby</li>
    </ol>
  </div>
  <div class="albumReviewBody">
<p>Well, with this album, you can say that the band entered a new phase. Prior
to this release, the band was entitled to record a couple of tracks for an album
destined to the European and North American markets. They recorded a couple of
earlier songs, some of them with lyrics in English (e.g. 'Panis et Circenses',
'A Minha Menina', 'Ando Meio Desligado'), as well as a couple of new songs. For
some reason, though, the project was scrapped, and the new songs were
transferred to this album here. They are 'Tecnicolor', 'El Justiciero',
'Virg&iacute;nia', 'Sarav&aacute;' and 'Baby' - the same song from their '68
debut, but with a different arrangement. That fact alone doesn't justify the
change of sound, though - it's just a historical happening. And you can now find
the sessions of that "abandoned" album in <strong>Tecnicolor</strong>.</p>

<p>One interesting "new" thing here is the almost complete lack of covers. The
only cover is the aforementioned 'Baby', with comes with lyrics in English now,
and in its "correct", bossa nova arrangement. All the other ten tracks are
originals. The production improved considerably, too, being handled mainly by
Arnaldo Baptista now. But the thing is... the band's <em>style</em> changed a
bit here. Maybe you won't notice it, but they lost a bit of their sarcasm, their
bitter sense of humour, their <em>edge</em>. I can't tell whether it was the
military oppression, or if they just acquired a more lighthearted approach to
their music. But fact is, this album is <em>far</em> lighter than anything that
came before it. The arrangements are less heavy and less intricate, too, and the
sound is a bit... thinner, too. They let go the pounding organs, the drum storms
and the guitar frenzy to do something different. But do I <em>like</em> this
change? Not much, to be honest. This album gives me the horrible feeling that
<em>something is missing</em>. It's like the band wasn't quite ready to go
through that subtle transformation, and while they successfully abandoned the
unnecessary elements, they didn't fully acquired the necessary ones. So there's
a feeling of emptiness, here, though I just can't pinpoint it. Annoying,
innit?</p>

<p>So, I'm sorry to give such a vague introduction, but that's how puzzled the
album makes me. Most songs are excellently written, the melodies don't leave a
lot to be desired, but it almost doesn't sound like the Mutantes as I knew them.
I hope this explains the considerably lower rating, though I can't say I dislike
this album to any degree! Like every other Mutantes record, it's good! Very
good! Though there's a lack of truly "classic" songs here, the material is very
good. Actually, there's just one classic song here, in my eyes, and it's 'Top
Top'. But what a classic it is! The fast rhythm, the endless vocal hooks, the
reckless delivery and the hilarious sped up vocals are going to grab you and
never let go. Great pop song! It's not just great, it's buh-rrilliant! And then,
there's another great little guitar solo, and an ending with a stomping
percussion solo. It lasts just a few bars, to the relief of drum-solo haters,
and it's a groovy crescendo. Good stuff, right?</p>

<p>I like all other songs on side A, with the exception of one... 'Portugal De
Navio' just puts me off, for some reason, and it might be the only one Mutantes
song that I actually dislike. It's supposed to be a parody on blues songs you
normally associate with detectives, and something doesn't make it work. Maybe
it's the lack of an actual hook, you know. It doesn't grab me, and that retarded
atmosphere doesn't hit me the desired way. Oh, well. Shame.</p>

<p>One more thing that annoys me quite a bit is the excessive Beatles
worshipping that comes on side B. You know, I'm still a bit unsure on whether
these tracks represent Beatles worshipping, or if they're actually
<em>parodies</em>. But judging by the way they sound, I don't think there's any
hint of parody in them. <em>Humour</em>, yes, but parody? I don't think so.
'Lady Lady', for example, borrows considerably from 'Your Mother Should Know',
and even Arnaldo's singing betrays a reference to Paul McCartney. I can't say I
like it much, either - the only interesting bit comes at the end, when the song
turns into samba, with a flute solo on the lead. S&eacute;rgio also throws a top
notch guitar solo in the brew, but that's no surprise. 'Virginia' is a blatant
homage to 'Octopus' Garden', but it manages to be a surprisingly beautiful and
almost touching song - <em>almost</em>, yes, because the singing style (with
that vibrato on the chorus) makes it less than serious. It's very beautiful,
though! There are even woodwind solos, in the best Beatles tradition.</p>

<p>There's one track here that I can definitely consider a joke - albeit a very
lighthearted one, directed at a local singer. 'Benvinda' borrows Tim Maia's
balladeering style very faithfully, and Arnaldo even manages to sing in a "deep"
vocal tone. Though I have to say, it's quite scary that the band managed to make
such a <em>good</em> ballad, when it was just a friendly joke. Very nice,
indeed. But yes, so far, we're only one the "nice", "beautiful", "cute",
"friendly" and so on - because there <em>really</em> is nothing hard-hitting
here. Nothing. The album's salvation is that the songs are great! Among the
songs that I still haven't mentioned, they're almost all great. Among the songs
that were destined for the international release, there is 'Tecnicolor', with
lyrics entirely in English. It's one of the most genuinely romantic songs the
band has ever done, and one of their most "conventionally" beautiful as well.
And it's very uplifting to realise how much talent the band had when it came to
actual songwriting, so you can be <em>sure</em> that their music didn't rely on
"gimmickry". Still, it's a bit unsettling to hear such a "normal" Mutantes song
- I always have the uncomfortable feeling that there's a load of sarcasm around
the corner that I haven't noticed before. I think it's a trauma - I'll simply
<em>never</em> be able to take one of their songs seriously, at least not while
Rita Lee is around.</p>

<p>The least impressive of these songs might be 'Sarav&aacute;', but mostly
because it seems to suffer from a very thin production. I can't explain why -
otherwise, it's a great, groovy rock song with spicy rhythms - and given the
production of <strong>A Divina Com&eacute;dia</strong>, for example, it would
rip and roar. The title track, though, <em>does</em> rip and roar, if only for
that brilliant riff they blast out, and also the screaming vocals. The riff in
the middle section is a bit weaker, but there's a big build-up of drums and
percussion, courtesy of drummer Ronaldo. But it's the stunningly simple and
brutal riff that takes the cake.</p>

<p>Two more songs, I believe? Oh, yes, and they're the funniest, too. 'El
Justiciero' is an incredibly brilliant idea for a "story", given a spoken-word
introduction in English by Rita Lee (with a strong Spanish accent), and sung in
a horrible mess of Spanish and Portuguese, making them sound like a bunch of
Brazilians pretending to be Mexican and doing a horrible job. And it's funny!
The story is utterly inane, too, but it's the music that makes it work so well.
The "El Justiciero, cha! cha! cha!" hook is unforgettable, along with pretty
much everything else in it ("Tengo chocolate quente... Tequila... PAGA-LO QUE
DIEBES!"). Finally, 'It's Very Nice Pr&aacute; Xuxu' must be the band's
<em>happiest</em> song ever - a blues send-up with "soulful" singing, scratchy
vocals by Arnaldo, and an unexplainably joyful chorus sporting a delightful pun
- see, "Pr&aacute; Xuxu" is an expression which means "a lot", so the band is
just doing bad English on purpose. You gotta listen to the song, though: damn
close to a classic, that it is.</p>

<p>Something tells me that the band's curse was that they were just <em>too damn
good</em>, so a lightweight album like this may cause a shock to anyone. I have
to say that the initial phase of "disappointment" has already gone by,
fortunately, but I don't think I'll ever <em>love</em> this the way I love the
band's best albums. I like it more now than I used to, so while my rating to it
will be relatively low (and since most fans seem to love it, it may look like an
outrage, but I DON'T GIVE A FUCK), just try to imagine to what kind of band an
<em>11</em> is considered a very low rating. It only goes to show how great the
Mutantes are.</p>
  </div>
  <div class="albumReviewRating">
    <p class="ratingHeader">
      Rating:
    </p>
    <p class="funFactor">
      <span class="ratingName">Fun Factor:</span> <span class="rating">12/15</span> -
      Most times, it's a pleasant ride, with a few bumps along the way.</p>
    <p class="resonance">
      <span class="ratingName">Resonance:</span> <span class="rating">10/15</span> -
      Uh... somebody help me here.</p>
    <p class="originality">
      <span class="ratingName">Originality:</span> <span class="rating">12/15</span> -
      Compared to the other Mutantes albums, it's a bit blah. Compared to other albums by everyone, it's damn impressive.</p>
    <p class="richness">
      <span class="ratingName">Richness:</span> <span class="rating">12/15</span> -
      Something missing, y'know... and too many Beatles "references".</p>
    <p class="solidness">
      <span class="ratingName">Solidness:</span> <span class="rating">10/15</span> -
      There are a few streaks of goodiness, with very, very few outstanding moments.</p>

    <p class="ratingFinale">
      Total: <img src="../images/11.png" alt="11" />
    </p>
  </div>

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<div class="albumReview">
  <div class="albumReviewHeader">
    <h2 id="baurets">Mutantes E Seus Cometas No Pa&iacute;s Dos Baurets (1972)</h2>
    <p class="bestSong">
      Best song: <big>Balada Do Louco</big>
    </p>
    <p class="trackList">
      Track list:
    </p>
    <ol>
      <li>Posso Perder Minha Mulher, Minha M&atilde;e, Desde Que Eu Tenha O Rock And Roll <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Vida De Cachorro <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Dune Buggy</li>
      <li>Cantor De Mambo <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Beijo Exagerado / Todo Mundo Pastou <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li><span class="good">Balada Do Louco ++</span></li>
      <li>A Hora E A Vez Do Cabelo Crescer <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Rua Augusta <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Mutantes E Seus Cometas No Pa&iacute;s Dos Baurets <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Todo Mundo Pastou II</li>
    </ol>
  </div>
  <div class="albumReviewBody">
<p>Well, the debauchery is back. The <em>sound</em> isn't different from that of
<strong>Jardim El&eacute;trico</strong>, but in terms of style, the band has
returned to what made them so fun in their early stage: mockery, sarcasm, parody
and absurd covers. It's a return to form, to put it short. Yet, this album
manages to be <em>different</em> enough to have its existance fully justified.
This is the Mutantes' "diverse" album. The band tackles a number of different
genres and styles here, but of course, they're not just "tackling" the styles -
they're applying their unique, distinctive spice to all those genres, so the
results range from comedic to plainly parodic.</p>

<p>As such, this is another album that can be considered a "comedy album" of
sorts - not that the band ever went ahead and put out a full-fledged <em>comedy
album</em>. There are just comedy elements in this album that stand out somehow,
you see. And in here, you don't even have to have a big knowledge of the
Portuguese language to "catch" the meaning of most of these songs. The opening
number, for example, makes fun of those "odes" to Rock 'n' Roll, with Arnaldo
Baptista wasting no efforts in his whacky Elvis immitation. The band pulls off a
virtually flawless performance as well, filled with a quiet middle break, cool
organ and guitar solos, and a rousing "blues" ending. And, to complete the
picture, there are the audience noises, too. There's a lot more, obviously -
'Dune Buggy' is partially a funk send-up, with absolutely banal lyrics about a -
sure enough - dune buggy, with the title itself being pronounced in completely
wrong English. It's noteworthy how <em>good</em> the band's performance is here.
If you ignore the fact that the song is <em>supposed</em> to be absolutely
banal, you can still find the band locked in a quite cool groove.</p>

<p>Still in the comedy side, there's 'Cantor De Mambo', a funny tale of an
unnamed Mambo singer that leaves Brazil and hits the jackpot in the USA. Yes,
they <em>are</em> talking about S&eacute;rgio Mendes here, and Dias surely plays
a couple of Santana-like guitar solos - but it's funny how they are immediately
countered by a <em>heavy</em> riff. Great, catchy song, that is. And then,
there's the "homage" to the Rolling Stones in 'Beijo Exagerado'. Here, it's like
the band was surely trying as hard as possible to come up with the most banal
lyrics ever, since, well, that's the point. As for the music, well, I believe it
is as good as a Stones immitation can possibly be - taking the obvious Stones
clich&eacute;s and putting them in the dead <em>center</em> of the performance
(the guitar in the intro, the "stomp! stomp! stomp!" rhythm, the yeah-yeahs and
the collective "wooo!" screams). But they are so damn well reproduced, it's hard
to tell whether the band was making fun of the stuff, or if they are actually
paying a homage to it.</p>

<p>As for ballads, there are two here, and one is a tribute of sorts to John
Lennon, and it happens to be one of the band's most well-known and loves songs
ever, and deservedly so: 'Balada Do Louco' is gorgeous, and Arnaldo's delivery
on piano and vocals is shiver-inducing. And the lyrics only improve matters: the
way Arnaldo sings about being crazy and being <em>happy</em> with it is,
actually, quite honest. At this stage, the song can raise hairs on the back of
my neck, and it's the only Mutantes song (in this incarnation of the band) that
I'm perfectly comfortable with taking <em>seriously</em>. On the other hand,
there is no way I can take 'Vida De Cachorro' seriously, however achingly
beautiful it might be. S&eacute;rgio Dias presents some lovely acoustic guitar
and a lap steel, while Rita Lee sings about love between dogs. Interestingly,
the way it begins makes it sound like a <em>protest</em> song, but it's more in
the choice of words Rita uses. Intentional? Perhaps, but I'm just
speculating.</p>

<p>If you're looking for protest, you should look at 'A Hora E A Vez Do Cabelo
Crescer', one of the Mutantes songs that were openly censored because of their
content. Its original title stood for "Big Haired Patriot", making fun of the
feeling of "patriotism" the government was trying to create. But did the band
change the lyrics? They didn't - instead, they just filled the song with noise
over "strategic" spots, made Arnaldo sound like he was singing from behind a
closed door, and made the recording as messy and dirty as possible. So keep in
mind that the "bad" production had a very solid cause when you hear the song.
But still, the song rocks, being built on a tricky guitar riff. It's probably
the most "heavy metal" song they ever did. More mockery comes in the cover of
the "oldie" rock 'n' roll song 'Rua Augusta', which picks up from where 'Hey
Boy' left off. This time around, they take the rock 'n' roll song and completely
un-rock'n'rollify it, vandalising it with high-speed vocals and a vague hint of
"psychedelia". Not that the original song is all that awesome, but the way the
band performs it makes it just irresistible.</p>

<p>Finally, there's the title track. And it's a nine-minute-long crossover of
Progressive rock, Jazz and noise-making a la Pink Floyd. Well, what the fuck?
Yes, that's right: that is the Mutantes turning "artsy", though the
transformation was still done in a humourous way, especially since it is
immediately followed by the novelty 'Todo Mundo Pastou' (which closes both sides
of the LP). But that doesn't deny that the band <em>was</em> going down the
artsy path, and that would cause the alienation of Rita Lee from the rest of the
band. And after all, the 90% of the song is a showcase of the other musicians'
instrumental skills. The song is well constructed, with a main theme near the
beginning, reprised at the end. Surprisingly, there isn't much "noodling" here -
there are a few riffs and a dissonant bass line underpinning most of the groove.
The highlight goes to S&eacute;rgio Dias doing his guitar solos and singing
along with it - nothing Earth-shattering, but just listen when he activates his
wah-wah! And near the end, the band recapitulates 'Tempo No Tempo', sung by
eerie harmonies with a chorus effect. Overall, the song only <em>really</em>
works because the band had the chops to pull it off. But depending on how you
view them, you could call it an unnecessary attempt at something overly
ambitious and pretentious, or you can see it as a lighthearted attempt at
something different. It's certainly a strange item in the band's catalogue - not
"weird", just odd.</p>

<p>The album, as a whole, works because of its diversity. It's not "more of the
same", even though there isn't any real reformulation of the band's style and/or
intentions. It's not one of their most important releases, and I don't recommend
picking it up first. Even though I like it better than <strong>Jardim
El&eacute;trico</strong>, I think it's more sensible picking that one up first.
Actually, come to think about it, it's very sensible to pick up their albums in
chronological order - though their three first LPs are all essential, so whether
you pick up <strong>Os Mutantes</strong> or <strong>A Divina
Com&eacute;dia</strong> first probably doesn't matter. As for this one, it's the
last "official" Mutantes record of this incarnation. I say last "official" one
because the <em>true</em> last Mutantes record, <strong>Hoje &Eacute; O
&Uacute;ltimo Dia Do Resto De Sua Vida</strong>, was released as the second solo
Rita Lee LP, oddly enough. I don't have it, so I can't comment on it. But sure
enough, after that record, they were kicked out of their label, and the band
changed for good.</p>
  </div>
  <div class="albumReviewRating">
    <p class="ratingHeader">
      Rating:
    </p>
    <p class="funFactor">
      <span class="ratingName">Fun Factor:</span> <span class="rating">12/15</span> -
      Yep, goody goody.</p>
    <p class="resonance">
      <span class="ratingName">Resonance:</span> <span class="rating">12/15</span> -
      Mostly comedy, yes, with some spots accidently touching my nerves.</p>
    <p class="originality">
      <span class="ratingName">Originality:</span> <span class="rating">12/15</span> -
      Hmm, well, it doesn't bring anything terribly new. Only the jazz jam, kinda.</p>
    <p class="richness">
      <span class="ratingName">Richness:</span> <span class="rating">13/15</span> -
      Goody goody, y'know.</p>
    <p class="solidness">
      <span class="ratingName">Solidness:</span> <span class="rating">11/15</span> -
      There's something about the song flow that bothers me a little, here...</p>

    <p class="ratingFinale">
      Total: <img src="../images/12.png" alt="12" />
    </p>
  </div>

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<div class="albumReview">
  <div class="albumReviewHeader">
    <h2 id="sol">Tudo Foi Feito Pelo Sol (1974)</h2>
    <p class="bestSong">
      Best song: <big>Tudo Foi Feito Pelo Sol</big>
    </p>
    <p class="trackList">
      Track list:
    </p>
    <ol>
      <li>Deixe Entrar Um Pouco d'&Aacute;gua No Quintal <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Pit&aacute;goras <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Desanuviar <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Eu S&oacute; Penso Em Te Ajudar</li>
      <li>Cidad&atilde;o Da Terra</li>
      <li>O Contr&aacute;rio De Nada &Eacute; Nada <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Tudo Foi Feito Pelo Sol <span class="good">+</span></li>
    </ol>
  </div>
  <div class="albumReviewBody">
<p>If you already devoured the first five Mutantes LP's with all your might and
ventured unsuspectingly into this one, the album is bound to give you an utter
shock. You'd probably end up thinking you're listening to a completely different
band, who just happened to be called "Mutantes" too. Well... in fact, that isn't
far from the truth at all, really. See, there's a bit of a story prior to the
release of this album to be told. After the Rita Lee solo LP that was actually a
Mutantes record, Arnaldo fired Rita Lee from the band; mostly because she
couldn't, or didn't WANT to, follow the direction the band was taking. They were
venturing more and more into the realms of progressive rock, and she apparently
wasn't willing to abandon her Brazilian roots and her sarcastic, corrosive
musical style. So, she went solo, and the band turned into a Prog Rock outfit.
Unfortunately, the record label refused to release the band's newest album, and
they were kicked out.</p>

<p>What ensued was a fairly sad turn of events. Brother Arnaldo's mental state
was getting worse every day, until it culminated in a misunderstanding with the
rest of the band, resulting in his departure. And as
S&eacute;rgio Dias hired musicians to replace him, the other musicians left the
group for whatever reasons they had. Eventually, S&eacute;rgio found himself
surrounded with people he didn't even know, under the Mutantes moniker, playing
Prog Rock. Fortunately for him, the line-up seemed to be working - a new
contract, a new band and a new sound were in place. So, this album was recorded
and released, and the tour that followed was largely successful.</p>

<p>So, in terms of line-up, S&eacute;rgio Dias is the only remaining original
member. The other musicians certainly are very professional and skilled, but
they don't have any of that vintage Mutant spirit, so... what you get here is
Prog Rock, in the best traditions of Yes and ELP. Yeah, it's that kind of
mystical, positive, slightly surreal progressive rock, featuring keyboards
aplenty, tricky musical twists everywhere, long instrumental explorations, and
S&eacute;rgio's magnificent guitar skills. Is it good? If you're a hardcore Prog
fan, you're bound to love this. After all, there are practically no flaws in
this record whatsoever. There are no weak songs to be found here, they're all
more or less grounded on solid melodies, the playing is always strong, and...
Well, the thing is that if your enjoyment of Prog Rock is strict to Yes,
Genesis, <em>maybe</em> King Crimson and bits of Gentle Giant, or whatever... I
dunno if you'll really like it. Mostly because there's nothing NEW here to be
presented. If you have all the classic Yes albums, in theory, there's no need
for you to look out for this one.</p>

<p>But then, who says that is the case? Who will ever tell you that you only
need a couple of Black Sabbath albums if you want to enjoy Heavy Metal? These
songs are mostly permutations of the Prog Rock formula the Europeans already
presented, but they are GOOD permutations! It's a highly enjoyable record, and a
very well-crafted, beautiful work. Me?... Well, I certainly do like this record.
Thing is, there's very, very little here that would make me want to listen to it
repeatedly. Like I said, it's a virtually flawless record. But there's nothing
truly OUTSTANDING here. Inside Brazil, this was certainly a significant release
(and oddly enough, it's the best-selling Mutantes record - but that's mostly due
to the endless promotion it got, being released on the label owned by TV Globo,
and all. Hey, you know that Globo owns Brazil, dontcha?). But why should I be
blabbering about its importance in Brazil here? I <em>can</em>, if I want, but I
don't want to. You see, it's a solid record that doesn't stick too much to my
brain, so there.</p>

<p>There are hardly any standout tracks here, either. But side A is quite
surprisingly solid, kicking off with the shortest "Prog" track here. 'Deixe
Entrar um Pouco d'&Aacute;gua no Quintal' kicks off with a fast, tricky riff,
but in about thirty seconds, it breaks into bombastic organ chords, those tricky
rhythmic twists and a bombastic harmonies singing a serious, dramatic melody. Of
course, I won't describe every single section of this five minute song, but do
expect slow, "sentimental" breaks and more of that pyrotechnical
instrumentation. 'Pit&aacute;goras', the only instrumental, builds itself on top
of that strange, surrealistic piano work. I <em>do</em> sense something
mathematical spiralling out of this song, somehow... Eek, what a dorky thing.
It's a good song. 'Desanuviar' is a long "ballad", with S&eacute;rgio putting
his mellow, bendy voice to good use to deliver that melody. I like the ominous
"march" that takes place in the middle of the song, with a slightly discordant
bass and an atmosphere that grows and grows. Watch out for that "cosmic" ending,
with sitar and everything!</p>

<p>You know what? Dias's vocals do annoy me a little, sometimes. Or maybe it's
just the lyrics that bug me: that kind of mystical, philosophical, "hippie"
happy "everything was made by the sun" attitude, you know. If you don't
understand Portuguese, that might be a bonus for you. I actually wonder if
that's better or worse than having Jon Anderson-ish gibberish all over.
Interesting thing to think about. Anyway, I was not bashing S&eacute;rgio's
voice, by the way. He's a solid singer, and when I'm in the right mood, his
singing can make me happy. And his guitar is... well, he <em>is</em>
S&eacute;rgio Dias. There's nothing about him that makes me put him above Mike
Oldfield, for example, but as a follower of Steve Howe, he does an amazing job.
Oh, the title track is, in my opinion, the most beautiful track here - also a
"ballad", with a pleasant melody and soothing harmonies, and that guitar intro
that reminds me of Rush, for whatever reason. Anyway, well, I think I like
soothing Mutantes Prog than bombastic Mutantes Prog, so there. The oddest thing
is that, for the two last minutes, the song turns into a dark, minor key
faux-blues/jazz jam... Heh.</p>

<p>The other three tracks are the more "conventional" songs. My favourite is the
short, rock 'n' rollish 'O Contr&aacute;rio de Nada &Eacute; Nada', which is
quite catchy, in spite of being a dorky attempt at "rocking" done by a nerdy
Prog band. 'Eu s&oacute; Penso em Te Ajudar' kicks off as a bluesy rave, with
S&eacute;rgio trying to shriek as much as possible. But then, halfway through,
it turns into a Proggy groove for no reason other than <em>being</em> Proggy, I
suppose. 'Cidad&atilde;o da Terra' also turns into something completely
different for a while, but other than that, it's kind of a recapitulation of the
opening track - similar chords, similar bombastic harmonies, similar "verse"
structure and all. It's not one of my favourites, though.</p>

<p>I guess the best feature of the album is that it's not excessive. But then,
if the band DID keep on travelling down this road, who knows when they would
churn out a sidelong epic, and then a double album... you know how it goes. They
<em>did</em> go down the progressive road while they lasted, but all they
managed to put out was a weird live album and a single - the next LP never came
out, and the band ceased to exist. Arnaldo started a solo carreer with an album
released in this same year, <strong>Loki?</strong>, but he didn't release too
many albums. His mental state got worse, he attempted suicide in the early 80's,
and he finally accepted to live as a humble "living legend" of sorts. Rita is
definitely the most commercially successful artist of them, putting out a steady
stream of radio hits, occasionaly showing a bit of her bitter sarcasm at us. And
S&eacute;rgio went on, being the sunny, happy fella he has always been. Oh,
well, and so life goes. What a terrific band.</p>
  </div>
  <div class="albumReviewRating">
    <p class="ratingHeader">
      Rating:
    </p>
    <p class="funFactor">
      <span class="ratingName">Fun Factor:</span> <span class="rating">12/15</span> -
      Oh, yes! It's a most solid experience.</p>
    <p class="resonance">
      <span class="ratingName">Resonance:</span> <span class="rating">11/15</span> -
      Hmm... it's bombastic prog, most of the time, and the philosophy gets on my nerves sometimes.</p>
    <p class="originality">
      <span class="ratingName">Originality:</span> <span class="rating">10/15</span> -
      Er... it <em>is</em> original, as far as Yes immitations go.</p>
    <p class="richness">
      <span class="ratingName">Richness:</span> <span class="rating">11/15</span> -
      Oh, it certainly is a very well crafted piece.</p>
    <p class="solidness">
      <span class="ratingName">Solidness:</span> <span class="rating">12/15</span> -
      Solid enough for me.</p>

    <p class="ratingFinale">
      Total: <img src="../images/11.png" alt="11" />
    </p>
  </div>

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<div class="albumReview">
  <div class="albumReviewHeader">
    <h2 id="z">O "A" E O "Z" (1992)</h2>
    <p class="bestSong">
      Best song: <big>Ainda Vou Transar Com Voc&ecirc;</big>
    </p>
    <p class="trackList">
      Track list:
    </p>
    <ol>
      <li>"A" E O "Z" <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Rolling Stones <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Voc&ecirc; Sabe</li>
      <li>Hey Joe</li>
      <li>Uma Pessoa S&oacute;</li>
      <li>Ainda Vou Transar Com Voc&ecirc; <span class="good">+</span></li>
    </ol>
  </div>
  <div class="albumReviewBody">
<p>No, this is not a reunion album; neither an archive live album, much less a
compilation. If you read the previous review, you might remember something about
the band recording an album which was rejected by the label. Well, this is the
album! Finally released after 19 years, this album features the band immediately
after Rita's departure, before Arnaldo left, being their first full-blown
venture into Progland. And maybe being their first one might explain why the
album is so... well, derivative. See, it sounds <em>just</em> like Yes! Really!
There's practically no denying that this IS a Yes copy, maybe with a bit of ELP,
what with that aggressive, scraping organ sound. But there's no denying the big,
huge influence of Yes here. While it's true that the band didn't manage to
achieve a truly unique sound (not even in <strong>Tudo Foi Feito Pelo
Sol</strong>), this album borrows as much as it could from the Yesguys: the
plodding rhythms, the scratchy bass tone, the guitar sounds and playing, the
harmonies, and if I want to bring up more similarities, I <em>can</em>.</p>

<p>So in a way, yes, we do have a problem. It's true that the band did take
elements from other bands for their own music many times in the past, most times
to make <em>fun</em> of them. But in this case, we have a Yes copy used for the
extent of <em>an entire album</em>, and there are no signs of parody here at
all. The lyrics hadn't reached the "philosophical" level of their 1974 album,
and they certainly are <em>not</em> a copy of Jon Anderson's style. They are,
though, very idealistic and optimistic - maybe even utopic. There's certainly
a hippie vibe running here, and maybe a bit of Arnaldo's eccentricities too. But
I can't think of this as a parody on Yes, not at all. S&eacute;rgio seemed to
take this kind of thing quite seriously, though I'm pretty sure the Baptista
brothers were not so interested in the "artistic" aspect as they were on the
attempt at bringing a <em>message</em> of "rock 'n' roll, peace and love here in
Brazil". And that's nice.</p>

<p>So? What I have to say is that, well, if this is a copy of Yes, it's a
BEAUTIFUL copy of Yes! Really! The album is very beautiful, solidly written and
very uplifting. It's a very good album for listening when you want to get into a
good mood 'with intelligence'. There's such a good vibe emanating from it, it's
certainly going to affect you in a positive way. Problem is, in order to enjoy
the record, you either have to have a long attention span and a special
<em>care</em> for Prog, or you must have the ability to just let the music flow
around you, without bothering much about it. Why? <em>Because there are hardly
any songs in here!!</em> Okay, let me rephrase it: most of these tracks aren't
really "songs", in that they don't have much of a central theme, you see. Yes
did base all their songs in a solid foundation, be it one theme, two, four or
twelve. But they always HAD a foundation, and all of their musical exploration
was built on top of it. The Mutantes here have barely any foundation. Yes, there
<em>is</em> something of an unique theme unifying two or three songs here. But
most of these songs are quite meandering, waltzing around several themes and
half-riffs and half-melodies without a precise direction. While this means that
you'll hardly know what's coming up next, it also means that the album doesn't
do much to get a grip of your attenion - this is a definitive problem for the
<strong>Tales From Topographic Oceans</strong> haters. And since the music is
just <em>SO</em> similar to Yes, you might just give it up and put on
<strong>Relayer</strong>, instead - certainly Steve Howe was flashier than
S&eacute;rgio Dias, and Arnaldo is no Patrik Moraz, that's for sure.</p>

<p>Me? Well, I enjoy this. I don't exactly <em>love</em> it, but I do enjoy this
quite a bunch. Like I said, this stuff makes me HAPPY. And as far as progressive
rock goes, I know very little that actually affects my feelings in such a way.
This is good stuff! You know, I <em>should</em> be bugged about the lyrical
thematics a little, after all, I don't quite know what S&eacute;rgio means when
he says "I'm the beginning, I'm the end, I'm the 'A' and the 'Z'", and why they
insist in saying they're "one single person". But I don't mind it! So, the
opening track, with so many different passages and different parts doesn't
really grip me, but it sounds good all the way. The theme is later recapitulated
in the pair of tracks 'Hey Joe' and 'Uma Pessoa S&oacute;'. Actually, I don't
know why I think of them as a pair - perhaps because I actually didn't NOTICE
when one ended and the next one beginned the first time I heard the album. After
all, 'Hey Joe' is so long (twelve minutes) and changes so many times that when
that sweet piano tinkling started to play, how would I know that the fifth track
had just started? HOW? So I still think of them as a little "suite" of sorts,
thank you very much. They are quite good tracks, by the way. 'Hey Joe' doesn't
have anything to do with THAT 'Hey Joe', though I doubt the title was just a
coincidence. The opening is quiet and pleasant, and then the left turns start
to show up - though they aren't as abrupt and fast as in the opening track.
There's one particular part that strikes me somewhat, when there's a minor key
guitar arpeggio, and a fairly sad build-up... who knows what it means? The next
track brings that wacky 'one single person' to a rousing climax, with a pleasant
singalong refrain. As for 'Voc&ecirc; Sabe', it's not too different from the
other songs, though it's all acoustic this time around - solid guitar playing,
more blatant Yes copies (some harmonies are nicked directly from the end of
'Roundabout' - remember the "doo doo doo doos", dontcha?), but quite
pleasant.</p>

<p>I left the other two tracks untouched because they are the only things that I
can call actual "songs" here. 'Rolling Stones' is kinda silly, actually - it
doesn't refer to the band, but to the Rolling Stone magazine, and S&eacute;rgio
keeps on singing about some "guy who opened his head", and how he "tripped with
a Mutantes record" and started to understand "the music of the heart".
<em>Eh?</em> A Rolling Stone guy actually did <em>that</em>? Either
S&eacute;rgio is a really silly fella, or the drugs were affecting him big
time... or maybe this is a BIG put on. I wouldn't doubt that, though it
certainly doesn't <em>sound</em> like it! Silly lyrics or not, the music is
nifty, very groovy and beaty. It does have that nerdy "Prog" sound and a lengthy
instrumental coda, but it's fun! The "spiritual" chorus gets in the way
slightly, but the song always gets back on track afterwards. 'Ainda Vou Transar
Com Voc&ecirc;', though, is a thrill and a half! It definitely begged for a
harder, louder production, but it's a fun "Prog 'n' roll" of sorts! The singing
is very fun, and it boogies! And I love the ending, with the anthemic chants of
"rock 'n' roll, peace and love here in Brazil"! The part of "maybe our song will
never end" worries me a bit (I mean, the song isn't THAT brilliant!), but it's
too fun to get bugged with.</p>

<p>Overall, I'm forced to give this the same rating as the previous album, even
though I <em>enjoy</em> this one more. Unfortunately, there isn't much in this
album that truly <em>attracts</em> me (maybe the closing track), but this album
is certainly more fun than the serious, straight-faced <strong>Tudo Foi Feito
Pelo Sol</strong>. It's just that I can't really give a 12 to such a derivative
album. I <em>can</em>, but... eh, the album just isn't good enough to justify a
blue rating, see. But then again, who cares? Like I said, I enjoy this album.
Check it out if only to see how well they manage to recreate the Yes sound.
Don't expect Squire-level bass chops or Bruford super-drumming or Wakemanesque
keyboards! S&eacute;rgio's guitar is solid, though - he <em>never</em>
shows-off, and is always very classy. Gotta love that guy! Get this album if you
like him as much as I do, or maybe to realise WHY Rita Lee was in the band in
the first place...</p>
  </div>
  <div class="albumReviewRating">
    <p class="ratingHeader">
      Rating:
    </p>
    <p class="funFactor">
      <span class="ratingName">Fun Factor:</span> <span class="rating">13/15</span> -
      Hooray! Makes me happy!</p>
    <p class="resonance">
      <span class="ratingName">Resonance:</span> <span class="rating">12/15</span> -
      It doesn't <em>genuinely</em> makes me happy, but it makes me WANT to be happy!</p>
    <p class="originality">
      <span class="ratingName">Originality:</span> <span class="rating">9/15</span> -
      Nah. Nah nah nah. Forget it. Scrap that. This is YES. ... maybe not, more like YEP.</p>
    <p class="richness">
      <span class="ratingName">Richness:</span> <span class="rating">12/15</span> -
      There's plenty of good ideas here, though they're... kinda scattered.</p>
    <p class="solidness">
      <span class="ratingName">Solidness:</span> <span class="rating">11/15</span> -
      The songs meld into each other, don't they? Though not in a <em>pleasant</em> way...</p>

    <p class="ratingFinale">
      Total: <img src="../images/11.png" alt="11" />
    </p>
  </div>

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<div class="albumReview">
  <div class="albumReviewHeader">
    <h2 id="vida">Hoje É o Primeiro Dia do Resto de Sua Vida (1972)</h2>
    <p class="bestSong">
      Best song: <big>Tiroleite</big>
    </p>
    <p class="trackList">
      Track list:
    </p>
    <ol>
      <li>Vamos Tratar da Saúde <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Beija-me Amor <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Hoje É o Primeiro Dia do Resto de Sua Vida</li>
      <li>Teimosia</li>
      <li>Frique Comigo</li>
      <li>Amor Branco e Preto <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Tiroleite <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Tapupukitipa <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>De Novo Aqui Meu Bom José <span class="good">+</span></li>
      <li>Superfície do Planeta</li>
    </ol>
  </div>
  <div class="albumReviewBody">
<p>I was a bit unsure on whether to put this review: on the regular Mutantes section or on the Rita Lee solo album section. This album was released as a Rita Lee solo (the second one), but the truth is that it's <em>not</em>. This is,in fact, the last album recorded by the original formation of the band, and it is, in all respects, a true Mutantes album - even if Rita sings almost all lead vocals, which is a bit odd. But I won't try to change things - if I were to file this under Mutantes, I'd have to file <strong>The Final Cut</strong> under Roger Waters, and not Pink Floyd. So, let's be tame and meek.</p>

<p>The most interesting thing, though, is that this album wasn't really made with commercial intentions. And I was really surprised, at first listen, at how lightweight and uncompromised the album sounded. It's like the band was consciously trying <em>not</em> to impress the listeners, which might not be too far away from the truth. This album showcases the band genuinely having fun in the studio, writing music to amuse themselves with, to experiment with new toys and effects (which would barely fit their regular releases) and to test the new studio. The result is their most lightweight album ever, <em>and</em> one of their most friendly and fun. There's little of that sarcasm and mockery of their other albums, and a lot of genuine fun - and a lot of pretty crazy stuff, as well.</p>

<p>Say, I can just use the album's lyrics as an example of its simplicity. The band never had really complex or deep lyrics, but they were almost always interesting and intriguing, had a certain edge, and even a bit of sofistication. On here, you have things like the title track, and <em>all</em> its lyrics are summed to three lines: "Today is the first day of the rest of your life / And of mine too / And so, sit on my lap!" and that's <em>it</em>. As for 'Teimosia', things are even more radical, with Rita and Arnaldo exchanging lines: "Don't come here, don't come / Don't come, 'cause I'm going there! / I'll go, yes, I'll go / You say there! / I am stubborn, you are stubborn / We are stubborn", with some lines repeated. Those <em>are</em> all the lyrics on the song, but then, why do I like it? Why, because of that <em>brilliant</em> riff played over an awesome samba rhythm, without forgetting the stupid intro with a childish melody played on a synthesizer. The whole thing lasts just two minutes, but it's delightfully moronic and hilarious enough to be worth listening. 'Frique Comigo' isn't so minimal, but it's also hilarious, with Rita using an obnoxious tone to deliver a line that gets echoed and slowed down at the same time (an idea used later on 'A Short Term Effect', by The Cure). It's an upbeat pop tune, but it unexplainable breaks down into understated "classical" piano playing. It's an absolutely, incredibly moronic thing done on purpose, which makes it just damn hilarious.</p>

<p>Now, if you're in for some contradiction, wrap your head around this: at the same time that this is their silliest album, it's the first one that shows the Baptista brothers' flirts with progressive rock. The aggressive, scraping bass guitar sound is 100% Yes, and so are some of the guitar passages here, like in the end of 'Frique Comigo'. It took me a few listens, but I finally identified what it sounds like: the ending of 'Long Distance Runaround'! But then it hit me that <strong>Fragile</strong> was released in 1973, and this album was recorded in 1972! Man, someone <em>needs</em> to explain this to me. Either way, the only composition that sounds somewhat progressive is the closer, 'Superficie do Planeta', which at times sounds like spaced-out hazy blues, and then switches into a mock-prophetic chant by S&eacute;rgio Dias (I assume - he and Arnaldo had nearly identical voices!), interrupted only by a crazy instrumental break, and a pompous ending with a <em>drastically</em> out-of-tune note being dragged on for ages. Man, those guys <em>knew</em> how to turn into real goofs for their own and our amusement. Goofy or not, though, if you take out all the humourous elements - which include dead-pan, straightfaced comments by the older brother Cl&aacute;udio Cesar interrupting the song ("Pay attention to the lyrics" and "got it?", at the very end) - he pops up on the title track, too - you get something very, very similar to the material on <strong>Tudo Foi Feito Pelo Sol</strong>. Oh, well.</p>

<p>Another oddity here is 'Tapupukitipa', a faux-psychedelic song that features no lyrics at all - other than complete nonsense words sung just for the hell of it. I can't call it a "jam", since it features such absolutely awesome riffs and the catchy-as-heck "yeah, yeah, yeah! Tapupukitipa!" hook. It goes crazy in the middle, with the band providing backing for Rita's own vocal freak outs. To keep up with the mood, it ends with an extract of some soft saxophone jazz, and a recording of the band talking in the studio about how to record one of their songs (it's funny because it sounds like each one is talking about a different thing, and one of them takes a surprisingly long time to figure out how much is 16 times 4). But the best thing is that playing, you know. The music! The band keeps the jokes coming on other great songs. 'Beija-Me Amor' is a brilliant parody on decadent bolero-style songs, with the best (and possibly only) "singing guitar" solo I've ever heard, that could only have come from the Mutantes. I can only assume that's a guitar plugged into a Vocoder, and if it is, I must praise it for being one of the best uses for a Vocoder I've ever heard, since the final result sounds <em>EXACTLY</em> like a fifty-to-fifty cross between a singing voice and a guitar. Just brilliant.</p>

<p>To show even further how uncompromised the album is, 'Amor Branco e Preto' is an ode to a football team - though it's probably the most <em>embarrassing</em> ode to a football team ever written: "Why do I like to suffer to much? / Maybe I'm turning into a masochist now". That is sung over a beautiful, catchy-as-heck bossa nova melody, with Arnaldo playing some hilarious "duck quacking" synth - it's just a very well-known Moog synthesizer patch played on a very low register. It's one of the catchiest songs here, and the football narration over the chorus only improves matters. And then, 'Tiroleite' is their fabulous country homage, managing to cross thematics of cowboys with drugs ("smoking the sun"?) with a cloudy double-entendre with "milk". The music's not exactly country, but that didn't stop them from making that hysterical cowboy yodeling with the song title, followed up by vocal immitations of a brass band (three years before Queen's 'Seaside Rendezvous'!). Brilliant song, really. And if you don't pay too much attention to the jokes, you can just enjoy the incredibly catchy pop tunes, like the funky opening 'Vamos Tratar Da Sa&uacute;de', and the gorgeous upbeat 'De Novo Aqui Meu Bom Jos&eacute;', also one of my favourites.</p>

<p>You know, I can actually understand this being released as a Rita Lee solo effort - on the shadow of <strong>Mutantes E Seus Cometas No Pa&iacute;s Dos Baurets</strong>, this would have been a rather insignificant effort. You know, it doesn't have any <em>classic</em> songs. But it does have great stuff aplenty, and it's a heck of an enjoyable and fun record. In fact, I think this record is <em>FAR</em> funnier and more entertaining than many albums released in the past decades as <em>actual comedy</em>. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's cheap humour that passes itself as something really important. With this record, the Mutantes entertain me without even trying hard to do so: they're just being authentic and true to themselves, and in a relaxed environment, they ended up producing one heck of an addictive piece of music. Shame that this was their last one... After this, Rita was kicked of the band, and she started putting out <em>actual</em> solo albums - which I doubt I'll ever want to review someday. But who knows.</p>

  </div>
  <div class="albumReviewRating">
    <p class="ratingHeader">
      Rating:
    </p>
    <p class="funFactor">
      <span class="ratingName">Fun Factor:</span> <span class="rating">13/15</span> -
      Fun as heck, I say!</p>
    <p class="resonance">
      <span class="ratingName">Resonance:</span> <span class="rating">12/15</span> -
      Yes, it <em>is</em> incredibly entertaining. Almost all the way through.</p>
    <p class="originality">
      <span class="ratingName">Originality:</span> <span class="rating">13/15</span> -
      You know it already. These guys were priceless.</p>
    <p class="richness">
      <span class="ratingName">Richness:</span> <span class="rating">13/15</span> -
      You know, it's a bunch of good music thrown in a canvas just for fun. Try to get the picture.</p>
    <p class="solidness">
      <span class="ratingName">Solidness:</span> <span class="rating">11/15</span> -
      It <em>is</em> short, and hey, they weren't trying <em>very</em> hard.</p>

    <p class="ratingFinale">
      Total: <img src="../images/12.png" alt="12" />
    </p>
  </div>

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